Sponge mop



Jan. 18, 1966 R, w` LINENFELSER SPONGE MOP Fild NOV. 18, 1963 INVENTOR. ROBERTW. LIN ENFELSER ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,229,317 SPONGE MOP Robert W. Linenfelser, Brooklyn, Mich. Filed Nov. 1S, 1963, Ser. No. 324,345 9 Claims. (Cl. 15-121) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 216,563, led August 13, 1962, and now abandoned. The invention relates to devices for cleaning surfaces such as floors, and refers more particularly to a sponge type surface cleaning device.

One object of the invention is to provide a surface cleaning device which is relatively simple to manufacture, composed of a few simple parts, and yet highly effective in the performance of its intended function.

Another object is to provide a surface cleaning device which is so designed that absorbed water or other liquid can be readily wrung or squeezed from the device.

Another object is to provide a surface cleaning device or mop comprising a head having a supporting member, and a cover in the form of a sheet of flexible material wrapped over the supporting member and provided at opposite edges with marginal strips secured to opposite sides of the supporting member, the sheet being porous t absorb liquid on the surface being cleaned and the strips being relatively non-porous.

Another object is to provide a surface cleaning device wherein the sheet is formed of a sponge or foam material and the strips are formed of a relatively non-porous or non-absorbing elastomeric material.

Another object is to provide a surface cleaning device wherein the cover is wrapped over an edge of the supporting member and extends along opposite sides thereof, and is rmly secured thereto.

Another object is to provide a surface cleaning device having novel means for securing the liquid absorbing cover to the supporting member.

Another object is to provide one or more channelshaped clips embracing the opposite ends of the cover to press them into tight friction contact with the opposite sides of the supporting member.

Another object is to provide tangs on the supporting member for piercing the material of the cover to prevent the Cover from slipping olf.

Another obiect is to provide a removable squeegee for the surface cleaning device.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE l is an elevational view with parts broken away and in section of a sponge type surface cleaning device or mop constructed in accordance with my invention. Also illustrated are portions of a pail and mop squeezer.

FIGURE 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG- URE l, showing the mop head within the channel-shaped squeezer for the purpose of wringing liquid from the sponge.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of the mop.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view thereof.

FIGURE 5 is an endview of the liquid absorbing cover for the mop head shown folded into the shape of a U preparatory to being clamped to the mop head.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the surface cleaning device or mop is generally designated by the reference numeral 10, and comprises a head 12 and a cover 14, for the head. The head 12 is in the form of an elongated transverse substantially flat blade or plate. The blade like head 12 has an integral return-bent U-shaped portion 16 along its lower longitudinal edge which is formed in a smooth curve as shown in FIGURE 2. This smoothly curved longitudinal edge portion of the blade 12 is provided so that the cover 14 can be folded thereover in a smooth curve without being cut.

The cover 14 is initially a rectangular layer having an intermediate sheet 22 of sponge or foam material which may, for example, be formed of rubber or any other suitable elastomer. The sheet 22 is highly porous and flexible, and preferably rectangular. To the opposite ends 24 and 26 of the porous sheet 22 are secured the elongated strips 28 which are of less thickness than the sheet 22. A suitable cement or adhesive may be used to bond these strips 28 to the opposite ends of sheet 22. The cover is shown in FIGURE 5 folded into the shape of a U, but without being otherwise deformed or compressed. In other words, FIGURE 5 shows the true thickness of the sheet 22 in its free state, and also the true thickness of the strips 28 in their free state. As shown, the strips 28 are secured to the sheet 22 so that their outer surfaces extend substantially flush with the outer surface of the porous sheet 22, and therefore their inner surfaces are offset considerably from the inner surface of the thicker porous sheet 22. Preferably the strips 28 are formed of a solid or dense, relatively non-porous or non-absorbing material such as rubber or other suitable elastomer. The strips 28 may have some degree of porosity but this characteristic should be so substantially less than that of the sheet 22 as to be negligible. More will be said later about the porosity of the sheet 22, especially with respect to that characteristic of the strips 28.

The cover 14 is wrapped over the head or plate 12 so that the mid-portion of the sheet 22 extends about the return-bent longitudinal edge 16. The opposite end portions of the sheet 22 extend a short distance along the sides of the head 12 in surface-to-surface relation therewith. The strips 28 also engage the opposite sides of the head 12 in surface Contact therewith.

In order to secure the cover 14 to the head, the two identical clips 30 and 32 are provided. These clips are preferably formed of metal or any flexible resilient material, and are generally channel-shaped as shown in FIGURE 2. The side flanges 34 of the clips are parallel to one another and extend at right angles at the opposite edges of the base 36. The free edges of the tlanges 34 flare at 38. The clips extend over the edge of the elongated head or blade 12, and more specifically they extend over that longitudinal edge of the head which is opposite the return-bent edge 16. The flanges 34 of the clips embrace the strips 28 of the cover and press them into tight friction contact with the opposite sides of the blade or head 12. The width of the clips is less than the sum total of the thicknesses of the head 12 and the two strips 28 in their free state so that the strips 28 will be cornpressed from their free state by the flexibly resilient anges 34 of the clips. One clip 30 is applied near one end of the mop head and the other clip is applied near the other end as shown in FIGURE 4. In order to prevent any tendency of the cover to slip from the head, integral tangs 40 are struck from the material of the plate or head 12. These tangs are pointed, as will be appreciated from an inspection of FIGURE l which shows the shape of the holes from which the tangs are struck, and alternately extend in opposite directions laterally outwardly from the plate 12. The tangs enter and pierce the material of the strips 28 to form an anchor for the strips. It will be appreciated that the cover is not permanently secured to the head, being merely frictionally held thereon by the action of clips 30 and 32 and tangs 40.

Preferably the cover 14 is applied to the head in a manner such that sheet 22 is stretched along the arc, that is from one end 24 thereof to the other end 26. This places the outer surface of the sponge or foam sheet 22 1n tension so that it has a more eective cleaning action When moved in contactwith a surface to be cleaned.

The head 12 is completely enclosed Within the cover 14 and, as seen in FIGURES 1 and 3, in fact the cover 14 extends beyond the ends and sides of the head so that the head will not contact the surface being cleaned or adjacent articles of furniture. This is desirable since the head will normally be formed of metal. As seen further in FIGURE 3, the ends of the covery 14 close about the ends of the U-shaped portion 16 of the head 12, confining the latter and resistingany relative endwise movement.

The head 12 is mounted on an elongated handle 50 by means of which the mop may be used to clean a floor by a person manipulating the upper end of the handle. A collar 52 encircles the lower end of the handle 50, and its opposite free edges are formed with parallel ears 54 which are clamped together by the wing nut and bolt assembly 56 to draw the collar tightly about the handle.

.The collar has a semicylindrical extension 58 which terminates in a at attaching portion 60 secured to the plate or head 12 by fasteners 62. The portion 60 is secured to the head 12 at the midpoint in the length of the head so that the handle 50 projects at right angles from the head.

As seen in vFIGURES 2, 3 and 4, when the cover is frictionally attached to the head, the end portions 24 and 26 of th'e Vsponge sheet 22 are compressed and reduced in thickness to approximately the same thickness as the strips 28.. The strips 28 are compressed only to a relatively small degree by the clips.

The mop construction described is simple and easy to manufacture, and yet it has been found to be very efficient in the cleaning of surfaces such as floors and the like. The entire cover 14 may be readily removed and replaced by merely slipping off the clips 30 and 32. A replacement cover 14 may be just as easily applied by stretching the cover over the head, pressing the strips 28 into the tangs 40, and applying the clips. No other means are employed for holding the cover in place. The mop .may be very vigorously manipulated since the holding action provided by both the clips and the tangs is sucient to prevent the cover from slipping olf the head. The cover 14 may, as stated above, be applied so as to provide a slight tension between its ends 24 and 26. The tension may, however, be varied depending on the wishes of the individual user. The sponge material of the sheet 22 is of course highly porous and of appreciable thickness so that it is capable of absorbing large quantities of liquid.

When desired, a squeegee may be used in conjunction with the mop. The squeegee is shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 and is in the form of an elongated, thin, blade-like member 70, in this instance rubber. One longitudinal edge portion of the squeegee blade 70 is inserted between a flange of the two clips 30 and 32 and the adjacent strip 2S of the cover. There is enough compressibility in the strip 28 and flexibility of the flanges of the clips to accommodate the extra thickness of the squeegee blade 70. The squeegee blade will thus be tightly and frictionally held .in place. The free edge of the squeegee blade forms a lip 72 for scraping the liquid from the surface with a squeegee action. The squeegee may be removed when not required, and the mop used in the ordinary way as described above. The strips 28 will be rmly held under compression by the yielding action of the clips 30 and 32 even without the presence of the squeegee blade 70. The mop may of course be used in the usual way even when the squeegee blade is present, so that the y squeegee blade may be left in place even though not being used.

A portion of a pail 80 is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the pail being of the usual construction having a bead 82 around the upper edge of its wall. There is also shown a generally channel-shaped member 84 for wringing or squeezing liquid from the sponge 22. The member 84 is an elongated open-ended channel having the upwardly diverging walls 86 and 88 connected by the at bottom wall 90. The upper free edges of the walls 86 and 88 are rolled to grip the elongated wires 92 Which extend beyond the ends of the channel 84. The ends of the wires 92 are adapted to hook over the bead of the pail to mount the member in the position shown, so that when the head of the mop is inserted into the channel and pressed downwardly, as in FIGURE 3, liquid will be squeezed from the, sponge and 'pass into the pail through the perforations 94. The channel 84 is formed of a flexible, resilient material, preferably metal, so that the side walls 86 and 88 can flex with respect to one another. The ends of the wire elements 92 rest freely on the top bead of the pail so that they can slide toward and away from each other. Hence when the mop head is inserted into the channel with a downward pressure, the sides of the channel, by reason of the fact that they normally flare upwardly, will liex toward one another and increase the wringingaction.

The unique construction of the cover 14 enables a more complete and thorough squeezinng of liquid from the sponge 22 than would be possible with other constructions. As the head enters the channel 84 and liquid is squeezed from sponge 22, little, if any, liquid can move upward from the cover 14 beyond the limits of the ends 24 and 26, because the strips 28 are of a solid or at least a relatively non-absorbingor non-porous material. Actually, the strips may have some degree of porosity, but this should be negligible. If these strips were of the same highly porous material as sheet 22, or were integral extensions thereof, the liquid squeezed from the lower portions of the sponge could move upward into the strips. Then when the head was removed from the wringer the liquid could redistribute itself throughout the sponge. Accordingly, the sponge would not be completely wrung free of liquid. The present construction of the strips 28, being substantially or relatively non-porous, prevents the squeezed out liquid from moving above the parting lines 24 and 26 and hence the liquid is expelled from the sponge. Thus when the head is removed from the wringer the sponge issubstantially free of liquid and thereby capable of picking up more liquid when again moved in contact with the surface to be cleaned.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A surface cleaning device comprising a T-shaped head, the crossing member of said head being in the form of an elongated relatively thin blade having the outer longitudinal edge thereof return-bent in the form of a U, the web of said head being being secured to the inner edge portion of said blade intermediate the ends of the latter and extending in an inward direction substantially in the plane of the blade and at right angles to said blade, a flexible cover in sheet form wrapped over the outer return-bent edge of said blade and havingits opposite end portions extending along the opposite surfaces of said blade, at least the portion of said cover extending over said return-bent edge of said blade being formed of a porous material capable of absorbing liquid on a surface being cleaned, and means for frictionally securing said cover on said supporting member including a pair of exible resilient channel-shaped clips one on each side of the web of said head and extending over the inner longitudinal edge of said blade, the anges of said clips embracing the opposite end portions of said cover under resilient pressure and pressing them tightly against the `opposite surfaces of said blade into friction surface contact therewith, and tangs projecting laterally outwardly from the opposite surfaces of said blade and extending through and piercing the material of said opposite end .portions of said,cover, said tangs being opposed to the anges of said clips,

2. The surface cleaning device defined in claim 1, wherein said cover comprises a flexible sheet of sponge material extending over the outer return-bent edge of said blade and a substantial distance along the opposite surfaces of said blade, and marginal strips along the opposite ends of said flexible sheet of sponge material, said marginal strips being cemented permanently to the opposite ends of said flexible sheet of sponge material and being formed of a relatively non-porous elastomeric material, said flanges of said clips embracing said strips and said tangs piercing said strips.

3. A surface cleaning device comprising a head having an elongated supporting member in the form of a relatively thin blade, one longitudinal edge of said blade being formed by an open return-bent longitudinal edge portion of said blade of generally U-shape, a flexible cover comprising a flexible sheet of sponge material wrapped over said one longitudinal edge of said blade so that the opposite end portions of said sheet extend along opposite sides of said blade, said sheet of sponge material being sufliciently porous to absorb liquid on a surface being cleaned, said sheet of sponge material having marginal strips of a dense elastomeric material along its opposite end edges, and means for frictionally securing said cover on said blade including a channel-shaped clip extending over the opposite longitudinal edge of said blade with its anges embracing said strips and pressing them tightly against the opposite sides of said blade in friction surface Contact therewith, and tangs projecting outwardly from the opposite sides of said blade and extending through and piercing the material of said strips.

4. A surface cleaning device comprising a head having an elongated supporting member in the form of a rela tively thin blade, one longitudinal edge of said blade being formed by an open return-bent longitudinal edge portion of said blade of generally U-shape, a exible cover in sheet form wrapped over said one longitudinal edge of said blade so that its opposite end portions extend along opposite sides of said blade, at least the portion of said cover extending over said one longitudinal edge of the said blade being formed of sponge material suiciently porous to absorb liquid on a surface being cleaned, and means for frictionally securing said cover on said blade including a pair of channel shaped clips extending over the opposite longitudinal edge of said blade with their flanges embracing the opposite end portions of said cover and pressing them tightly against the opposite sides of said blade in friction surface Contact therewith, said clips being disposed adjacent opposite ends of said blade, and tangs projecting outwardly from the opposite sides of said blade and extending through and piercing the material of said opposite end portions of said cover, and an elongate blade-like squeegee removably fitted and frictionally held between one of the flanges of both clips and the adjacent end portion of the cover, and projecting therefrom to dene an elongated exposed edge for removing liquid from a surface with a squeegee action.

5. A surface cleaning device comprising a T-shaped head, the crossing member of said head being in the form of an elongated member, the web of said head being secured to said elongated member intermediate the ends of the latter and extending transversely thereof, a flexible cover extending over one longitudinal edge of said elongated member and having portions extending along the opposite sides of said elongated member, at least the portion of said cover extending over said one longitudinal edge of said elongated member being formed of a porous material and adapted to clean a surface when moved thereover, and means for frictionally securing said cover on said elongated member including a pair of ilexible, resilient, channel-shaped clips one on each side of the web and extending over the longitudinal edge of said elongated member opposite said one longitudinal edge, the anges of said clips embracing the portions of said cover extending along the opposite sides of said elongated member under resilient pressure and pressing them tightly against said opposite sides of said elongated member into friction surface contact therewith, and tangs projecting laterally outwardly from the opposite sides of 4said elongated member and extending through and piercing the material of said cover, siad tangs being opposed to the flanges of said clips.

6. A surface cleaning device comprising a head having an elongated supporting member, and a cover secured to said supporting member, said cover having a flexible sheet of sponge material wrapped over one longitudinal edge of said supporting member so that its opposite end portions extend at least partially along opposite sides of said supporting member, said sheet being provided along its opposite end edges with elongated flexible bars, said bars being secured in surface-to-surface relation with the Opposite end edges of said sheet, said sheet being highly porous to absorb liquid on a surface being cleaned, said bars extending for the full length of said edges of said sheet and covering a substantial portion of the width of the latter and being of a relatively non-absorbing material so as to substantially block liquid wrung from said sheet from passing into the body of said bars through the end edges of said sheet.

7. The cleaning device defined in claim 6, wherein said bars are substantially solid in cross-section and are formed of a dense elastomeric material.

8. The cleaning device defined in claim 7, wherein means are provided for securing said cover on said supporting member including a clip extending over the longitudinal edge of said elongated member opposite said one longitudinal edge, said clip having flanges engaging said bars under resilient pressure to press them tightly against opposite sides of said supporting member into friction surface contact therewith, and tangs projecting laterally outwardly from the opposite sides of said supporting member and piercing said bars, said tangs being opposed to the flanges of said clip.

9. A surface cleaning device comprising a head having an elongated supporting member in the form of a relatively thin blade, one longitudinal edge of said blade having an enlargement therealong, a flexible cover comprising a flexible sheet of sponge material wrapped over said one longitudinal edge of said blade so that the opposite end portions of said sheet extend along opposite sides of said blade, said sheet of sponge material being sufficiently porous to absorb liquid on a surface being cleaned, said sheet of sponge material having marginal strips of a dense elastomeric material along its opposite end edges, and means for frictionally securing said cover on said blade including a channel-shaped clip extending over the opposite longitudinal edge of said blade with its anges embracing said strips and pressing them tightly against the opposite sides of said blade in friction surface contact therewith, and tangs projecting outwardly from the opposite sides of said blade and extending through and piercing the material of said strips.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 603,547 5/1898 Wolff 15-260 1,201,930 10/1916 Boss et al 15-232 1,859,747 5/1932 Neale. 2,011,214 8/1935 Erickson 15--231 2,011,975 8/1935 Johnson 15-231 2,290,217 7/1942 Trindl et al. 15-261 2,715,745 S/1955 Jacobsen 15--244 2,876,476 3/ 1959 Woods 15-244 X 2,915,768 12/1959 Hall 15--244 2,977,619 4/1961 Franzene 15-244 X 3,081,475 3/ 1963 Vosbikian et al. 15-244 FOREIGN PATENTS 484,607 5/ 1938 Great Britain.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner. CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Examiner. 

6. A SURFACE CLEANING DEVICE COMPRISING A HEAD HAVING AN ELONGATED SUPPORTING MEMBER, AND A COVER SECURED TO SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, SAID COVER HAVING A FLEXIBLE SHEET OF SPONGE MATERIAL WRAPPED OVER ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER SO THAT ITS OPPOSITE END PORTIONS EXTEND AT LEAST PARTIALLY ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, SAID SHEET BEING PROVIDED ALONG ITS OPPOSITE END EDGES WITH ELONGATED FLEXIBLE BARS, SAID BARS BEING SECURED IN SURFACE-TO-SURFACE RELATION WITH THE OPPOSITE END EDGES OF SAID SHEET, SAID SHEET BEING HIGHLY POROUS TO ABSORB LIQUID ON A SURFACE BEING CLEANED, SAID BARS EXTENDING FOR THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID EDGES OF SAID SHEET AND COVERING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE WIDTH OF THE LATTER AND BEING OF A RELATIVELY NON-ABSORBING MATERIAL SO AS TO SUBSTANTIALLY BLOCK LIQUID WRUNG FROM SAID SHEET FROM PASSING INTO THE BODY OF SAID BARS THROUGH THE END EDGES OF SAID SHEET. 